A Walk To Remember
by eva.chrisovitsanousweety
Summary: Charles managed to make peace with Grigg and his past. He and Elsie are walking back but this walk will change their lives. Set after S4E2 ends.


**A/N: My Sundays seem empty as we don't have any more episodes of Downton Abbey to watch, so I decided to do something that would feel a little that empty space inside me. I started re-watching series 4, every Sunday evening one episode, and I had only watched the two first episodes when I saw the pictures from Christmas Special. I watched a second time episode two after seeing the pictures and a very crazy idea came to me. I decided to write it down and share it with you all. I hope you like it. Reviews are welcome as always.**

**Disclaimer: Any situation or character that appears in the drama isn't mine. I only borrow them to write my stories and then put them back to rest. **

**Enjoy!**

He watched as the engines steered and the train took off from Downton's train station. He hadn't wanted to go to see his… friend taking off but he knew very well that he had to make peace with him and his past so he could move on. He had managed to go to the station, speak with him and part away in peace as friends. He didn't like that he had stayed at Crawly house and offered to pay for his behalf. He was looking sad and thoughtful as he passed her and only looked once at her direction.

She turned around to look at him and stood still only for a moment to think. She was glad that he had managed to come so he could make peace with that man and his past, now he could move on. She started walking behind him. "Mr. Carson!", she called out at him so she could get his attention. "Shall we… walk back together?", she asked him as she approached him and he turned to look at her.

He didn't say anything and just let her walk beside him in the inside so she could be safe. They kept walking without speaking as they were both lost in their thoughts. He risked a glance at her with the corner of his eye and saw how beautiful she looked. He had discovered that he was in love with her only a few months after she was promoted to housekeeper of Downton Abbey. During the two years she was working as head housemaid they had been close but he longed to be able to be closer to her. He had been so afraid when she had caught the serious form of the pneumonia. He was so worried that he would lose her and that was the first time he discovered that he was immensely in love with her.

As he was remembering all these years that he had passed loving her in secret his left hand went close to his chest. He remembered what he had there inside his coat in his pocket and how she had looked when he had told her about Alice. He could see that she was jealous but the only thing that she showed was her love for him. He started walking slower until he stopped. He grabbed her arm to draw her to him and kissed her on the lips with all his love. They broke apart when they both needed some air. "Elsie?", he watched as she slowly lifted her head to look at him. "Please, do me the honor of becoming my wife.", he told her with a wide smile, showing all his love for her and very, very serious.

She was standing there in front of him without moving, looking at him with wide eyes and open mouth as she was trying to think what he had just said to her. He wanted her to become his wife? He wanted to get married? They had been courting for six months now and he had just asked her to marry him. The seconds were passing very quickly and he was getting a little worried as she didn't move or say anything to him. He was ready to put his hand on her arm to shake her a little when she put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. "I will do you the honor of becoming your wife, Charles Carson.", she said when they pulled back from their kiss.

She was once more surprised by him but confused as well this time as he grabbed her hand and started walking in the opposite direction towards the train station. "Charles, what are you doing?", she asked him in hope that he would stop and answer her but he kept walking forward holding her hand tightly. "Charles, where are we going?", she was very confused now and the anger started boiling inside her.

He only stopped them when they reached the train station. He left her there standing as he went quickly to buy them tickets for the train. He returned to her with a wide smile on his face and holding two tickets in his hand showing them to her. "We are going to Ripon right now to get married, my love.", he reached inside his coat, removed a paper and handed it to her.

As she opened the paper without asking any questions she was once more surprised by him. It was a license for them to get married today in Ripon. She was so confused as to when he had done this and how they would explain to the family why their butler and housekeeper delayed more than expected. "I don't understand, Charles.", she told him finally as she lifted her head to look at him.

He took a deep breath. "Yesterday morning when I woke up I realized that you were right, Elsie. I had to come today to the station to make peace with Grigg and my past. I learnt that Alice loved me but she had chosen him instead of me and that she died.", it was hurting a little to say that to the woman he loved so much. "I fell in love with you the first second I saw you but I only discovered it when you caught the serious form of pneumonia only a few months after you became housekeeper.", he took hold of her hands. "Elsie, I needed to make peace with Charlie and my past so I could be able to move on with my life. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be able to hold you, to kiss you and to… make love to you. I want to wake up in the morning with you in my arms.", he kissed her softly on the lips just when they heard their train coming.

**/-00-/**

A few hours later they were back at Downton finally married and gold bands shining on their hands. As they walked back to the big house they talked and decided to keep their marriage a secret for a while before telling everyone. They were prepared to be sacked and they were prepared to stay. The only thing that mattered to them was that they were together and married. No one would be able to separate them and if it was necessary they would retire to a lovely cottage in the estate.

They spent their first night as a married couple in her sitting room making love and holding each other while the fire was warming the room and them. In the morning they were back to their roles but much more happier than the previous morning. Their gold bands were hanging from a gold chain around her neck in a very safe place. They would wear them every night saying their vows all over again and making love afterwards. They would take them off and back to the chain every morning until they were ready to tell everyone that they were married.

It was going to be painful if they would be sacked but they were going to have each other and that was the only thing that mattered to them. They both regretted their decisions to silence their feelings for each other as they could have left service to have a beautiful family together. They would be some times that they would discuss about the children that they could have had together if they had been married sooner. Every time Elsie ended up crying in her husband's arms as she wanted so much a child of their own. Every time they would come to the conclusion that they had children inside this house. William, Daisy, Anna, Alfred were like their children. They were the parents for the young staff members when they real parents were far away or in heaven.

She had caught a cold and was forced to stay in bed for one week at least to recover fully. Every night he would go to her room and stay with her. The same thing he did tonight as he made sure everything was alright. He entered her room to find her sleeping with a wide smile on her face. He changed into his pajamas, that she was hiding in her wardrobe and lied down next to her. As always she woke up and they ended up making love.

"I love you, Mrs. Carson.", he told her as he placed a kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Mr. Carson.", she told him as she returned his kiss.

They drifted off to sleep with wide smiles on their faces and holding each other.

**THE END!**


End file.
